April 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Anthony homers twice, WooSox throw combined no-no in DH sweep
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In Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader, three Worcester pitchers combined to toss the second no-hitter in franchise history. Cooper Criswell got the start and worked four no-hit innings, walking two and striking out four in that span. Fellow righty Isaiah Campbell was responsible for the next two innings and fanned two of the six batters he faced. Jacob Webb then retired the side in order in the seventh to successfully seal the no-hit bid.
Not to be outdone by Worcester's pitching staff, Roman Anthony had quite the afternoon at the plate. The organization's top prospect went 2 for 4 with a pair of home runs out of the leadoff spot. He led off the game by crushing a 410-foot solo shot off Rochester starter Andrew Alvarez, then laced a 350-foot grand slam off Joan Adon in the third to bring his RBI total to five. Elsewhere in the lineup, Nate Eaton went 2 for 4 with a two-run double and one run scored. Phillip Sikes went 1 for 3 with one RBI, one walk, and one run scored. Marcelo Mayer, Abraham Toro, Trayce Thompson, and Nathan Hickey all scored runs as well.
Brian Van Belle got the start in Game 2 for Worcester and was responsible for the first 3 1/3 innings. The righty did not give up a run or walk while striking out five of the 12 batters he faced. He threw 47 pitches (32 strikes) and generated eight whiffs. Jose Adames took over for Van Belle and was tagged for two runs on three hits, three walks, and one strikeout over 1 2/3 frames. Nick Burdi yielded one run in two innings before making way for Brendan Cellucci, who notched his first Triple-A save with a scoreless eighth inning.
Toro led the way offensively in Game 2 by going 3 for 4 with one double, one RBI, and one run scored. Sikes and Yasmani Grandal both doubled, drove in one run, and scored another as well. Tyler McDonough went 1 for 3 with an RBI single out of the nine-hole. Despite going hitless, Anthony still contributed as he drew one walk, scored one run, and stole his second base of the year.
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Blake Wehunt took the loss in his second start for Portland after allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits, one walk, one hit by pitch, and seven strikeouts over five innings. Alex Hoppe took over for Wehunt in the sixth and fanned five of the nine batters he faced across three no-hit frames of relief. On the flip side, all three of the Sea Dogs' runs came by way of the long ball. As part of a 3-for-5 night, Mikey Romero belted his second home run of the year to lead off the game. An inning later, Enderso Lira crushed a two-run shot for his only hit in his season debut. Jhostynxon Garcia and Ahbram Liendo both tallied multiple hits, while Karson Simas accounted for his side's lone double.
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Noah Dean lasted just two-thirds of an inning in his start for Greenville, allowing two earned runs on two hits (including one home run), two walks, one hit by a pitch, and two strikeouts. Max Carlson followed Dean and yielded one run on three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. Adam Smith took over in the sixth and gave up two additional runs while fanning a career-high of eight in four innings. Albert Feliz then served up a two-run homer in the top of the 10th and took the loss.
Hudson White doubled and scored a run in the process of putting together the first three-hit game of his professional career. Fraymi De Leon also doubled, drove in a run, and stole a base as part of a 1-for-4 showing. Juan Chacon and Juan Montero drove in two runs apiece, while Nelly Taylor and Marvin Alcantra combined to score three runs. Yophery Rodriguez drew two walks and stole two bases out of the leadoff spot.
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In getting the start for Salem, Devin Futrell made his professional debut on Thursday night. The Vanderbilt product struck out three of the nine batters he faced over three perfect innings. He threw 28 pitches (18 strikes) and induced four whiffs. Luis Cohen took over for Futrell in the fourth and was tagged for three runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings. Joe Vogatsky surrendered an additional run while Diego Viloria marked his first pro appearance as a pitcher in the ninth. Franklin Arias stayed hot at the plate by going 2 for 4 with one run scored out of the leadoff spot. Yoeilin Cespedes doubled and Karim Ayubi tripled for Salem's only other hits. Arias scored his side's lone run on a ninth-inning sacrifice fly off the bat of Antonio Anderson.
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Player of the Day: Between Games 1 and 2 of Thursday's doubleheader, Roman Anthony went 2 for 7 with two home runs, five RBIs, three runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and two strikeouts. The 20-year-old is now batting .283/.433/.585 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 15 games (67 plate appearances) for Worcester this season. He has not played the outfield since April 10 and has instead been DHing while dealing with minor right shoulder soreness.
Photo Credit: Roman Anthony by Kelly O'Connor